Diabetes is the leading cause of blindness!!

The following information is taken from the National Institutes of Health (2011):

Diabetic retinopathy is caused by damage to blood vessels of the retina. The retina is the layer of tissue at the back of the inner eye. It changes light and images that enter the eye into nerve signals that are sent to the brain.

Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness in working-age Americans. People with type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes are at risk for this condition.

Having more severe diabetes for a longer period of time increases the chance of getting retinopathy. Retinopathy is also more likely to occur earlier and be more severe if your diabetes has been poorly controlled.

Almost everyone who has had diabetes for more than 30 years will show signs of diabetic retinopathy.

Symptoms

Most often, diabetic retinopathy has no symptoms until the damage to your eyes is severe.

Symptoms of diabetic retinopathy include:

• Blurred vision and slow vision loss over time

• Floaters

• Shadows or missing areas of vision

• Trouble seeing at night

Many people with early diabetic retinopathy have no symptoms before major bleeding occurs in the eye. This is why everyone with diabetes should have regular eye exams.

Here are some examples of retinopathy from the person's point of view:


For more information-- follow this link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002192/

What's That??

Hello!! Welcome to "Transform Into a Better You-- The Power Within!"


We want to help you believe that taking better care of yourself now and avoiding the risk of contracting diabetes is a much easier lifestyle than having to deal with disabling and painful effects of diabetes, such as amputations of limbs and extremities, blindness, heart disease, kidney disease, and erectile dysfunction.

Diabetes can lead to ulcers which causes tissue damage which leads to amputations.